- Section 144 imposed in Bengaluru, curfew imposed in DJ Halli, KG Halli, and nearby areas.
- The nephew of the Congress MLA described the allegations as baseless, claiming that his Facebook account was hacked.
Violence erupted in DJ Halli and KG Halli areas in Bengaluru on Tuesday night over an objectionable Facebook post. A police station was set on fire Three people died in it. Two people died late at night and one person died during treatment on Wednesday morning. More than 60 policemen were injured in this violence. These include an additional police commissioner.
Muslim youth formed human chains to save the temple from rioters in DJ Halli area. It is being told that they remained standing there till the rioters left from there.
Section 144 imposed in Bengaluru
At present, a curfew has been imposed in the areas where the violence occured. At the same time, Section 144 has been imposed all over Bangalore. So far 110 people have been arrested.
Reconciliation advice did not come to light,
Police said that some people had reached the police station to file a complaint on the disputed post. They were advised to settle the dispute by mutual reconciliation. They did not like this and started shouting slogans. The mob then ransacked and opened fire at the police station and MLA’s house.
Why violence?
It is alleged that Naveen, the nephew of Congress MLA Srinivas Murthy, made an objectionable post regarding Pangbar Mohammad. This angered the Muslim community. Commissioner Kamal Kant said that accused Naveen has been arrested. Karnataka Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai said that additional force has been deployed in the violence-hit areas. Action will be taken against the miscreants.
Other Updates
- On the violence in Bengaluru, Karnataka minister CT Ravi said that, “I think it was a well-planned riot. Thousands of people gathered within an hour of posting on social media and damaged 200-300 vehicles and the MLA’s residence. SDPI is behind this”.
- GN Shivamurthy, Deputy Commissioner of Bengaluru Urban Area, visited the DJ Police Station. He said that the DJ police station has suffered a lot in the violence.
- Police have arrested the leader of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) in the case of violence.
- Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa has condemned the violence in a tweet. He wrote, ‘It is not right to attack the media, police and people, this will not be tolerated. People maintain peace”.
- Bengaluru City Police Commissioner Kamal Kant said that the situation is under control. Curfew was imposed in DJ Halli and KG Halli police stations and section 144 was imposed in the rest of the city. Some companies of RAF, CRPF and CISF have been called for help.
MLA’s nephew said- “ID was hacked”.
Congress MLA’s nephew gave clarification in this matter. He said that his Facebook account was hacked. He has not commented on any religion. MLA Murthy also issued a statement defending the nephew.
Many were quick to point fingers but the true culprits are not yet known, though speculations are increasing. Only updates from the police will clarify whether the nephew of the Congress MLA has a role to play or not.
